Film critics have lavished praise on Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” following its first press screenings on July 6, with reviewers calling the Homer adaptation a “staggering achievement” and hailing Matt Damon’s performance as Odysseus as career-defining, per variety.com.
The film, shot entirely with IMAX cameras over 91 days, opens in theatres on July 17.
Press reactions to “The Odyssey” emerged after Universal Pictures held influencer and media screenings, with critics across major outlets declaring the epic a triumph of scale and craftsmanship.
Collider’s Perri Nemiroff described the picture as “a filmmaking feast” and “a grand and gripping rendition of Homer’s epic,” adding that it would be difficult to imagine another director realising the source material with comparable scope. Discussing Film’s Andrew J. Salazar termed it a “staggering achievement,” while IndieWire’s David Ehrlich acknowledged some narrative clunkiness but noted the final act “rewards the journey.”
Film journalist Simon Thompson praised the picture as “flawless filmmaking, every inch as epic as you’d expect,” singling out Damon’s “career-best powerhouse performance” as the Greek hero, Robert Pattinson’s “outstanding” turn as the villainous Antinous and John Leguizamo’s “sublime” Eumaeus. Variety’s Jazz Tangcay called the production an “astonishing achievement” and a “triumphant, spectacular epic,” while the publication’s Clayton Davis highlighted Damon’s grit and Tom Holland’s sensitivity as Telemachus.
Fandango’s Erik Davis echoed the enthusiasm, describing Pattinson as “conniving, manipulative and endlessly entertaining” and labelling the film “a crowning cinematic achievement.”
“The Odyssey” recounts Odysseus’s years-long voyage home to Ithaca and his wife Penelope, played by Anne Hathaway, following the Trojan War. The ensemble also features Zendaya, Lupita Nyong’o, Charlize Theron, Elliot Page and Jon Bernthal. It marks the first narrative feature to be shot entirely with IMAX cameras; Nolan disclosed to Empire magazine that he exposed more than 2 million feet of film during the 91-day shoot.
Nolan told Empire he sought to bring “weight and credibility” to Greek mythology through a major Hollywood IMAX production, citing a gap in cinematic culture left by the mythological films of his youth.
“The Odyssey” opens in theatres on July 17 via Universal Pictures.
•Featured image: ©Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection